Focused

A wise man once said, 

“Schedules are meaningless if they are not filled with what’s truly meaningful”. 

Actually, that wise man was Joe, my longtime friend and co-founder of Llama Leadership. While we often trade jabs and joke with each other over just about anything and everything, this quote hit a nerve with me…in a good way. 

You see, I suffer from a condition called opportunitis.  

And, as I draft this article, I see a red squiggly line that lets me know that it’s not a real word. Don’t worry, you won’t see it and will probably assume at first, that I have a strong vocabulary. To better describe my condition; I love doing “stuff”. I love being a part of committees, special projects, events, and important meetings.  

I say yes to just about every opportunity to lead, follow, facilitate, and/or participate in anything that sounds exciting, hi-vis, shiny, and new. 

To be honest, I usually do well with a lot on my plate. I think my ADHD-like personality (not officially diagnosed by the way) is a complement to that. Over the course of several years of fine tuning and tweaking my scheduling, I’ve developed a successful formula. I do well with compartmentalizing my day, focusing on one thing at a time. I work on tasks in short bursts, switching gears, and then moving on to something else. In this way I’m able to balance multiple projects at the same time. 

But here’s where the problem lies. At times I’ve found myself focusing so much on projects, and events, and activities, that I’ve left little of myself for things that are critically important to my personal wellbeing and growth.  

I’ve come home grumpy, and downright exhausted. While those “opportunities” I spoke of often provide a great deal of short-term happiness, I have come to realize there are far more important things in life I should put first: My Faith and My Family. 

For as long as I can remember, spirituality has been a large part of my life. However, the last couple of years I’ve become more focused on working on my faith and beliefs. As part of this journey, here’s what I’ve discovered. 

When I start and finish my day with God in the forefront; through prayer, devotion, and Bible study, my day just seems to be better. I have better clarity, am able make better decisions, and I’ve noticed that my attitude is more positive. The Bible is loaded with great lessons on leadership, followership, stewardship, gratitude, and personal discipline--all which contribute to a more meaningful and happier life. 

A result of the increased focus on my faith, stronger family bonds have developed. As a family we pray together, worship together, and grow in faith together. Sharing this time creates better communication and understanding. It allows my sons to see the example I set for them on how to serve others. Just as importantly, they are learning respect, discipline, and responsibility. 

Over the past few years, I’ve learned to focus on what’s important. I’ve worked in industries and for organizations, where working 12 to 16-hour days was a badge of honor. Where leaders would one-up each other over how late they stayed behind at the office.  

While I know there will always be times when things come up, and we do what we need to do to get the job done, I can’t help but to think about all the time I spent wasted on things that turned out to be meaningless from a big picture standpoint.  

In this examination on what’s important, I’m learning that it is critical to do a few things to help refocus on the priorities in my life; It’s important to declutter. 

Declutter Your Activities:  Evaluate those things you absolutely don’t have time for. While an opportunity may seem exciting and lucrative, you need to be honest about your ability to fully commit to it. If you cannot, defer it to a peer, delegate to an employee or staff member, or delete it by just saying no altogether. 

Declutter Your Routine: Own your schedule, identify when you’re at your best, and get into a rhythm. You’ll find that getting to a work-life rhythm will result in becoming more efficient and energized. Be sure to build whitespace into your schedule. Use this time to play catch up on outstanding tasks or to get a head start on other work, or even better, do nothing at all.  Do your best to not let this time be invaded by activities that are simply unimportant, or that you cannot fully commit to. 

Declutter Your Mind: Pray, meditate, journal. Allow yourself some time to clear your mind and focus on yourself. Limit what you let in. If your intent is to give your mind a reprise, scrolling through social media or watching the news will only counter that intent. 

 Lastly, and probably most important… 

Declutter Your Priorities: Identify what’s truly important to you. Then determine if your current behaviors contradict or support you in these areas. If your current routine doesn’t include or allow you to fit in time to focus on these, ask yourself what changes need to be made to allow you focus on a fulfilling life. Are what the things you say are priorities getting the attention they deserve? Is there congruence with your values and your schedule? Consistency in key. 

Remember…schedules are meaningless if they are not filled with what’s truly meaningful.